George’s new album “Except Always” is the new double album from George Marinelli. Disc One includes nine new songs and Disc Two is a 17-song retrospective compiled from previous albums. George also played every instrument on this album! It came out in mid-May 2024.
You’ve heard his guitar before; George was a founding member of Bruce Hornsby and the Range for nearly the past 30 years, and was Bonnie Raitt’s lead guitarist. Oh, and in between, he found time to play with James Taylor, Shawn Colvin, Garth Brooks, Ray Charles, Art Garfunkel, Vince Gill, The Chicks and many, many more. George is an amazing songwriter who has written with a number of incredible musicians, including Bonnie Raitt and has previously recorded six solo albums that he released digitally only. This 2-CD set includes his brand new album and a retrospective collection of his earlier albums, so everyone can finally own a collection of his music. He is a Grammy nominated guitarist/singer-songwriter for the single “Across the River,” and plays all the instruments here himself.
My review.
As I am on my holidays at the moment, I am doing a review of the new material from the first half of this release. The second retrospective part is extensive and his fans will find much to enjoy, but I am referring here largely to the new material only, barring a couple of tracks I do want to draw attention to on disc 2.
This side has nine songs and runs for 35 minutes.
“I Don’t Have the Blues” opens up with a strong, funky rhythm. It certainly struts itself through the amps. You can definitely get some dance steps if you want to and it comes across as having the feel of a live recording, even though it is not.
“Except Always” comes up next. It is a rocky number with a commercial feel. We have had a run of two opening tracks and I’ve liked them both. This one is a bit of a sing-along, the guitar picks up the rhythm nicely and the vocals have a softer touch. Definitely soft-rock radio-friendly.
“Dear Boy” runs in at over five minutes. It is slower, with a deeper, bluesy feel to it. This track was leaning towards a 1970s feel, and has rather a pleasing guitar and drum break in the later section, providing a late-evening listening feel to the piece.
“Follow the Wind” is a much shorter track, a smooth blues ballad. It follows a narrative and provides a story that is told as well as sung. It includes some nice acoustic guitar picking.
“Nuthin’ but a Heartache.” I enjoyed the drums that introduced this track and remained pleasingly high in the mix afterward. The song returns to having that slight funk touch, but the track as a whole is much more stripped down and bare. It builds up to a bigger feeling chorus later in the song, where it has a more clap-along groove.
“Only a Fool.” It has a more pop-influenced groove; you could see this one played live and having people sway as they listened along.
“Howling” is an instrumental, running for 2.5 minutes. It is easy to listen to and fits nicely within the mood of the album.
“Same Old Wrong” is soft-rock, easy-listening-style music with a tale to tell. It’s a steady track that does what it does and leaves a soft footprint in memory.
“Tell Me What It’s All About” is a stripped down closer. It is an acoustic number with a simple but very effective melody and the vocals are equally gentle but pleasing. I liked this track. It is one I will return to again.
Overall, a likeable album from a talented and well-established musician and songwriter. The album, at its best, draws from funk and the blues; it also works well when George strips the layers back and provides a near-naked track where you nod toward the notes.
Recommended tracks: “I Don’t Have the Blues,” “Except Always,” and “Tell Me What it’s All About.
Disc 2:
“Living Like Kings” delivers a strong Springsteen vibe. It has that Southern feel to the vocals, a punchy chorus and delivers a solid road song.
“Heatwave in December” is a lazy, warm track that pre-warns of the storm that is to come. It was a strong, listenable track with a darker vibe.
For sure, there is a lot to dive into on the second disc. Any fan of George Marinelli will know many of these tracks and find much to enjoy. The production side of the second disc does bring a renewed zest to many of these songs.
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You can stream the album here
The artist’s website is here
By Stevie Ritson